


Memory

by Burgie



Category: Star Stable Online
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-09
Updated: 2017-08-09
Packaged: 2018-12-13 01:35:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 560
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11749377
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Burgie/pseuds/Burgie
Summary: Justin remembers his horse. Takes place after the quests where you take Justin to Valedale.





	Memory

The druid prison, as it turned out, was a series of tunnels branching off into small caves with rune-carved iron bars blocking off the entrances and exits. Justin’s cell was really more of a small cave, with a bench of sorts to sit or lie on and a single blanket. At least there was a toilet, though. And it didn’t stink like the ocean. There was also the bonus of it being made of solid ground. No fear of drowning here.

Justin sat on the bench for a while, and then he picked up his blanket, curled up on his side, and went to sleep. Something about this cell was giving him a headache, maybe it was the silence, though. Because there was no sound in these caves. No dripping, no water, no other voices or footsteps. No bats or ghosts either, thank goodness.

_Somehow, despite the negative thoughts and feelings that being arrested had brought up, Justin managed to slip into an easy sleep. In his dream, he was on horseback. And he felt right. The dapple grey gelding under him neighed as they crossed the Fields of Gold, both of them enjoying the freedom of being young._

_The dream changed, and now Justin was in the warm stable as rain came down gently outside. He was petting the horse’s nose and talking to it about his day and how he was sorry that they hadn’t had a chance to go out somewhere that day. How he wished that they had more time to ride. How he vowed to go out riding with him tomorrow, saying that he was going to be leading a trail ride to the great mountains of Valedale._

_And now, in the dream, Justin was younger, and being introduced to a little dapple grey foal._

_“Happy birthday, Justin,” his father was saying, beaming at him. Justin smiled in his sleep as his child self gave his father a toothy grin and ran over to the horse._

_“Is he really mine?” the younger Justin asked, awestruck that his father had given him such a gift._

_“Hehe, yep, he’s your very own horse,” his father had said. “You can ride him when he’s a little older, I’ll even let you train him.”_

_“Wow! Thanks, dad!” the child Justin said, grinning at his father and hugging him. Then, he began petting the foal’s nose, getting to know him._

_“What will you name him?” asked his father._

_“Maxy,” said Justin. His father chuckled, grinning._

_“Maxy it is, then,” said his father._

_And Justin saw, in the dream, as he first trained Maxy and then began to ride him. At last, Justin dreamed of the final riding lesson. When he’d first demonstrated a jump, and then helped a rider learn to jump. He’d put Maxy away that night, and then, the next morning…_

“Maxy,” Justin whispered as he sat up in his cell, shaking with the power of the memories. He’d had a horse. His very own horse. His Maxy. How could he have forgotten something so important?

But there was nothing that he could do about that now. Maxy was probably long gone, and anyway, Justin was stuck in this cell. All he could do was sob when the tears came, and mourn the loss of his beloved Maxy. Just another thing that Dark Core had taken from him.


End file.
